“I want to unseal the Ritual of the Lost Lamb,” Nyx politely requests while she takes a seat on the cape. An enchanting warmth rises from the cloth and she nearly falls asleep from the blissful energy that infects her body. “This is the only way to save Luke without marching into the Baron’s territory. We both know that’s what he wants. With the forbidden ritual, I can gather my little brother’s residual energy and bring him home. None of us will be at risk since it’s a combination of a summoning and teleportation spell.”
“Strange that you know about a spell designed by channelers. Especially since it has not been used since the ancient Race War,” Gabriel says with a nod of his head. Urging voices in the back of his head causes the god to hum with his mouth closed, the spell jolting the sources of his rising irritation. “The Ritual of the Lost Lamb was taken from mortals before my time, but I understand the reason it made the gods worry. Such a thing could be the first step in summoning a deity against their will. Possibly even enslavement or stealing immortality. Though I believe times have changed and we should reconsider the sealing.”
“Time is also running out,” the channeler replies, shying away when the powerful being stares at her. A flickering realization that the Baron’s power might be on the same level of Gabriel gives her the courage to meet the man’s piercing eyes. “I apologize for sounding like I’m rushing you. Yet, it has been said that the gods and goddesses have no concept of time since you exist forever. That means I have to push even though I want to continue speaking with the utmost respect.”
“In other words, you want a decision now.”
“That would be best, sir.”
“Sadly, I cannot agree to your terms.”
“I haven’t made any terms.”
“Exactly.”
Nyx sighs and leans back in the chair, which transforms into a hammock that is attached to thin air. Not wanting to fall asleep, the champion rolls out of the cape and shakes her head clear of a growing haze. Reaching for the griffin feather, she is surprised to feel a charge pass between it and her fingers. The energy gives her a sense that she can simply call Luke’s name and he will appear in front of her. For a joyous second, the channeler hears his voice in the distance and is sure that the vague words would have made her laugh if they were clear. Her mind wandering in and out of a fading fog, it takes Nyx a minute to realize that she is beginning to undo the god seal and start the ritual.
“You could have done it without our permission,” Gabriel says as he reclaims his cape. The god clicks his tongue to summon a black unicorn, which stands between Nyx and her paralyzed friends. “There is no way for me to stop you from continuing without our permission. All I can do, in lieu of a deal, is make a promise that will leave a bad taste in both our mouths. You will find yourself in a delicate situation when you die because the Law of Influence does not give full protection the deceased. Delvin will be claimed by Ram or Ehre while you will go to either me or Gola. Sadly, our dear Magic Goddess was forced to return to her slumber after interacting with you in Zelacryd. This means if you are killed by Baron Kernaghan then you will be claimed by me without debate. Now, I do not have to let you see Delvin if I feel you must be punished for crossing this line without a proper payment. Is your little brother worth an afterlife without your soulmate?”
“That’s a cruel trick, especially since there’s nothing I can offer a god,” Nyx declares, a brewing rage making her brave enough to get within reach of Gabriel. His unicorn steps between them and aims its horn at the channeler, who tries to ignore the inviting scent of its natural magic. “I promise that I will seal the ritual myself when I’m done. To make sure it is never used again, I’ll even lock it within my own body. That way you have nothing to fear from mortals and it will die with me.”
“Not a good deal because we can always do that ourselves,” Gabriel replies while getting onto his steed. Leaning down, he caresses Nyx’s chin in his gloved hand and peers into her vivid eyes. “The old trades are too barbaric for modern times. Besides, I have no interest in first born children or having you as a mortal consort. What I want from you is much simpler? All I request is your loyalty.”
“You already have that since I’m a champion.”
“I want you to swear that you will never stand against me.”
“Of course, I won’t.”
“That’s a good, little weapon.”
Before Nyx can react to his final words, Gabriel disappears and time returns to its normal flow. A distant crash startles the tense channeler and she reaches up to touch the feather once more. The object is warm against her fingers, but it turns cold and starts to fray as she drains all of Luke’s residual energy. Amber light flows into her body and travels to her core where it risks getting devoured by her potent aura. Focusing on the foreign magic, Nyx begins the ritual by pulling the energy free and fusing it to the skin of her left forearm. A tickling sensation runs to her shoulder and transforms into pain, as if a claw has been plunged into her muscles. It takes a few seconds for the limb to stop having spasms, a final jerk placing the arm in front of her face. To her surprise, the channeler can see the magic glowing beneath her shirt, but she is quickly distracted by her friends walking towards her.
“We talked it over and are standing with you on this,” Delvin declares with a charming smile. Seeing that Nyx is flushed and sweating, the warrior touches her forehead only to quickly pull back. “Your skin is freezing even though you look overheated. Has the water or jerky gone bad? Honestly, I didn’t even know this kind of dried meat could rot.”
“Gabriel was here and told me that you agreed to my plan,” the half-elf replies as she feels her body begin to itch and burn. She extends her arm and rolls down her sleeve, revealing a skeletal handprint on her flesh. “The Ritual of the Lost Lamb has begun. Now all we have to do is figure out where to find large amounts of Luke’s aura. Does anybody else hear someone laughing?”
A wave of vertigo overtakes the young woman and she collapses, her haywire senses vaguely aware of Delvin’s presence. The entire world becomes a vivid mix of colors, the reds and yellows drawing her attention more than the others. A flying sensation makes Nyx giggle and spread her arms wide while clouds of the purest white drop to meet her embrace. The fluffy blobs wrap around her body to form a warm cocoon that causes her to fall asleep. It is only in the back of her mind that she considers the possibility that her environment is an illusion and someone is carrying her in their arms.
*****
Delvin breathes another sigh of relief at having located one of the safe havens that are maintained within the Caster Swamp. An intoxicating magic has enveloped the champions since they entered and it has helped to ease their sore minds and bodies. The former mercenary is unsure if it is an actual enchantment or merely a natural sense of relaxation that comes from finding a place to rest. Either way, it is a welcomed respite for Delvin who has spent the last hour worrying that they lack the supplies to reach Visindor Forest, especially with two of their number having been rendered unconscious. Taking a deep drink from a crisp pond, the young man looks to where Nyx and Dariana are resting in their bedrolls. The telepath’s arm is awkwardly bent, so that she can place her fingers on the other half-elf’s brow and maintain their telepathic connection. Plucking a golden apple from above his head, the brown-haired warrior yawns and realizes that he is on the verge of passing out himself. The haggard appearances of Sari and Timoran makes him strongly consider a nap before they discuss their destination. Yet, he knows none of them will be able to sleep comfortably without making a plan first.
Taking a seat at the edge of the safe haven, Delvin is amazed at how the green grass abruptly stops and becomes boggy land. Colorful frogs hop around the pools in front of him, but none of them dare to cross the border. He wonders if the animals are dangerous, his answer coming when a snake snags one and swiftly dies while foaming at the mouth. Rummaging in his bag, the warrior finds his favorite metal cup and chooses a crimson ring from his collection
. The coffee it creates is warm and soothing with a cinnamon kick that keeps him awake and cleanses the taste of trail rations from his mouth. Delvin finds that his mind is blank, which makes him feel uncomfortable and edgy. Barely aware of his surroundings, he jumps when Timoran and Sari join him with their own favorite drinks in hand. Fizzle happily chirps from the nearest tree, the drite keeping an eye on their snoring companions. Every now and again, he grabs a few apples and darts towards Nyx’s bottomless pouch to stash his beloved snacks.
“Well, we’re off to a heroic start,” Delvin says with a chuckle. Clinking his cup against his friends’ drinks, the warrior hopes to weaken the tension that has been suffocating them for the last silent hour. “I suggest we pick the first location before they wake up. Now, we agree that Haven, the Garden of Uli, Bor’daruk, and the Hamilton Military Academy are the places we’re most likely to find Luke’s aura. Considering where we are, I say we go to Selenia’s and then make our way south to get a ride out of Gaia. The first two places I mentioned are so far away that I want to clear this side of Ralian before going east.”
“Perhaps we can return to the Spirit Well and use the teleportation room,” Timoran suggests before he yawns and starts to fall asleep. Half of a snore escapes his lips, the sound jolting him awake enough to finish his thought. “Helgard will put us near Bor’daruk or we can reach the Garden of Uli directly. From the latter, we can travel to Haven and complete the ritual. It does seem right that his hometown be where we summon him. There will be more familiar faces and comforts, which I am sure he will need.”
“I forgot this, but Stiletto’s grave is near the academy. That has to have something we can use,” the scruffy swordsman mentions while laying down. He cranes his neck to take a sip of coffee before balancing the warm cup on his chest. “Before we had our discussion, Nyx said people could have residual aura in them. So the final pieces may be us. The Callindors and Kira should be there too, so Haven is the best place to end this.”
Sari throws a dagger that scares a snake away from Delvin’s feet, which are dangling over the border. “We need to go to Bor’daruk first. I like Timoran’s idea of using the Spirit Well to reach Helgard. Once we’re done there, we can teleport back here and head for the academy. Then we teleport to the Garden of Uli and walk to Haven.”
“All of that would involve a lot of backtracking,” Timoran points out, hoping his soft tone avoids an argument. Holding up his hand, the barbarian stares at the mottled Ring of Aintaranurh and watches the faint animal symbols repeatedly appear and disappear in the marble. “I am my own temple. That makes me wonder if I can teleport us to the other locations. If that is possible then it will make the traveling easier and save use time.”
“The academy is the closest,” Delvin states before finishing his coffee. Refilling the cup, he licks his lips and struggles to think of a way to quickly end the conversation. “Every minute counts here and we don’t know if this plan will work. Tactically, it makes more sense to hit the nearest location before traveling around Windemere. What if the Baron is aware of our actions and decides to stop us? He may target the people and places who would possess some of Luke’s aura. All of his loved ones are danger.”
“Then it’s even more important that we go to Bor’daruk,” Sari urgently argues while she looks to see if Dariana and Nyx are awake. The temptation to shake her friends until they snap out of their slumber causes the gypsy to ball her fists. “If the Baron wants to attack Luke’s family and friends then he will go for the weaker ones. That means Haven and Bor’daruk will be at the top of his list. I would bet on Kira being the main target, especially since she isn’t a seasoned warrior like Talos and Ilan Callindor. We don’t even know if she’s in the city since she has to travel all the time. There’s also the possibility that we could be looking for things as well as people. Do you really think we can search Bor’daruk or even the Grasdon Manor without her help? At least if we go there first and find that Kira isn’t there, we can get a message to her and meet up somewhere.”
Sari and Timoran are surprised when Delvin remains silent and walks away, the warrior stopping by an oak. The man paces from the tree to a clear pond, his movements reminding his friends of a patrolling guard even though he takes a long drink at every turn. He stops to pull a blue and white ring out of his pocket, which he gingerly turns in his hands. Slipping the band onto his finger, Delvin takes a seat under the oak and massages his head as if he is suffering from a migraine. Tiny waves of energy waft off his body as his fount powers threaten to bring his thoughts to life. Only Fizzle bothers to get within reach of the man and offer him an apple that has a large bite missing. The small dragon purrs when his friend rubs his blunt horns and accepts the snack, the first taste helping Delvin push his powers back into submission. Waving for the others to join him, the tired warrior gets to his feet and keeps his eyes on Nyx, who has managed to catch Dariana’s hand in her mouth.
“No matter what we do, someone we care about will be in danger,” Delvin says, the words driving the truth into his heart. Turning to Sari, he notices that tears are forming in her eyes and wonders if Luke’s capture is harder on the gypsy than she is letting on. “I hate to be the one to make this decision, but it wouldn’t be right to put it on someone else. Nyx definitely has enough to handle right now. So if any of our choices result in disaster, I don’t want anyone trying to take the blame away from me. Call me stupid, but that will make me feel better when I agree with Sari. If Timoran can’t teleport then going to the academy means we would have to backtrack through the Caster Swamp. That’s the only way to get back to the Spirit Well. More than likely, both journeys will be slow due to the monsters, terrain, and our own fatigue. Not to mention there might still be some angry ghosts in there. All of that would cost us time, especially if Sari is right and we have to chase down Kira.”
Timoran places a firm hand on Delvin’s shoulder and salutes as if he is a soldier, the barbarian remembering the gesture from his time in Hero’s Gate. “This is a heavy burden that you carry, my friend. Yet, we are champions and do not have to do such things alone. I see the wisdom in both routes, but Sari makes a good point. Kira has been drawn into our adventures enough times to have garnered special attention from the Baron. More to the point, if his intention is to torture Luke then forcing him to watch her suffer and die would be an effective way to break him. A more positive factor to consider is that we could send Kira ahead to Haven where she can inform the Callindors about the situation.”
“I already agreed with Sari, so you can stop proving her point,” the other warrior states, his voice sharper than he intended. With the decision made, he finds his eyes beginning to close and another yawn lurking in the back of his throat. “Let’s take advantage of the situation and get some sleep. We can refill the waterskins later and we’ll eat light until Bor’daruk where Kira can help us get fresh supplies. Talk to everyone in a few hours.”
Slumping forward, Delvin is asleep within a minute while Timoran and Sari search for their own spots. Placing his great axe in his bottomless pouch, the barbarian finds a thick patch of grass and sprawls like it is a thin mattress. Fizzle curls up on the man’s muscular chest and releases several rings of rainbow mist that hover around the safe zone’s border. Being the only one awake, Sari finds the silence eerie while she puts her bedroll on the other side of Nyx. After crawling into the comfortable bag, she gazes at the surrounding Caster Swamp where the nocturnal hunters are beginning to stir. The gypsy worries that she will be plagued by nightmares and wake up in worse condition than she is now, but being near her childhood friend helps her gradually fall asleep.
It is not long after Sari has passed out that Dariana abruptly sits up, one of her fingers still touching Nyx’s forehead. The telepath’s eyes are white orbs that stare blankly into the distance, seeing nothing due to her still being unconscious. Her mouth opens into a soundless scream while blood trickles from her eye sockets and mixes with tears of sympathetic suffering. Minutes after
the display begins, the champion’s body shudders and she collapses back into her previous position.
2
“What exactly are you doing to him?” Gabriel asks as he examines Luke. Unable to blink or move his head, the half-elf is forced to stare at a collection of shimmering portals that shows his loved ones. “Let me guess. You force him to watch his friends and family suffer. How do you know he will not find a way to look away or close his eyes?”
“Because we are in his mind and he is already too weak to fight my influence here for very long,” the Baron replies while he cleans a collection of small blades. To prove his point, the warlord has the torture instruments hover around the wheezing champion. “I may have to do something drastic once I undo the physical damage and he regains his senses. This young man is surprisingly intuitive even on the astral plane where he has no true power. Believe it or not, my former General, I have had to use all of my tricks and create some new ones to make sure this champion starts to break. Even after everything, he is not there yet. That is why I have created this place. There is nothing within the darkness that can take his mind off the portals that will increase his suffering.”
Gabriel moves closer to Luke and snaps his fingers in front of the mortal’s eyes, but the young man does not react. Staring into the empty pupils, he can see that the warrior’s aura is flickering like a dying flame. Though the torture has only been for a day, the champion is barely holding onto both his strength and sanity. Indulging in his darker nature, Gabriel imagines what it would be like to inflict such agony on a living creature. The memories of committing such sins are still clear in his mind, but the sense of disgust and joy that came with them has disappeared over the centuries. Turning his attention back to the Baron, the Tri-God knows that such emotions would return if he had the chance to torture his former master and greatest enemy. To his frustration, he lost that chance long ago and is now forced to be a spectator to the victory that he once dreamt would be his to claim.
Ritual of the Lost Lamb Page 4
